(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiring board and a probe card using the same which are used for a semiconductor wafer inspection apparatus and the like.
(2) Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in a semiconductor wafer inspection apparatus, a probe card is used for inspecting the electrical reliability of a semiconductor wafer.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-69692 describes a probe card including a core layer; a buildup wiring layer formed on the core layer and including a plurality of wirings; and a plurality of probe pins which are fitted to electrodes on a topmost surface of the buildup wiring layer and are individually connected to the wirings of the buildup wiring layer, in which wirings in the vicinity of the probe pins include inner vias. Referring to FIG. 4 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-69692, since the probe card are wired in the buildup wiring layer, the number of inner vias arranged immediately below the electrodes to which the probe pins are fitted are different for each of the electrodes.
When the probe card is used, and the probe pin is brought into contact with an electrode pad of a semiconductor chip, an electrode on a topmost surface of the buildup wiring layer is pressed by the probe pin. As a result, when the probe card is repeatedly used, an insulating resin layer deforms, and the electrode may sink into the buildup wiring layer.
In such a case, as described above, if the number of inner vias arranged immediately below the electrode to which the probe pin is fitted is different for each of the electrodes, amounts of the insulating resin layers individually located immediately below the electrodes vary from one another. Therefore, an amount of sinking of the electrode into the buildup wiring layer varies for each of the electrodes.
As a result, when the electrode is pushed by the probe pin, a force applied to the electrode having a small amount of sinking increases, which tends to cause breakage of wirings of the buildup wiring layer, and eventually tends to reduce the electrical reliability of the probe card.